Building-block-molding apparatus



N. RANSOHOFF BUILDING BLOCK MOLDING APPARATUS Nov. 15, 192 7.

1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

Nov. 15, 1927.

N. RANSOHOFF BUILDING BLOCK MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lVndr/l nd Nov. 15, 1927.

1,649,731 N. RANSOHOFF BUILDING BLOCK MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. s. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 alien 10,1!

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

NATHAN niinsonorr, or onvornna rr, onio.

BUILDING-BLOCK-MOLDING APPARATUS.

Application fiiedFebruary 5, 1526. Serial No. 86,339.

This invention re ates generally to i1n provements in molding machines, and particularly for making hollow cement buil dii'ig blocks, in which a loose pallet normally pro vides the base of the mold utilized in combination with power driven elevator means for ejecting the molded pallet from the mold.

An object of the invention is to provide a simplified and very compact ejector meehanism, certain parts of which do not come in contact with the cement, thus making for increased life of the mechanism Another object is to provide an ejector mechanism of such compact structure, as to permit the top of a superposed mold box to be disposed at a minimum. level. above the floor or ground, and at a height to facilitate the lifting off or removal of. a discharged block.

Oneof the difficulties encounterec, is to release the molded article from its compact ith the walls of the mold initially in eject ing, and an object of my invention is to provide leverage-applying means for initially obtaining a multiplication of the elevating power for elevating the ejector to release the moldeo article frontits compact with the mold walls, and to subsequently less forcibly and positively, continue the ejec'ing operation until the molded article is elevated above or from the mold. i

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a power transmission device for transferring power from a driving to daven pulley, or from a power pulley to an elevating and ejecting mechanism opera t a pulley, tocause said mechanism to periioi Ii an ejecting operation. This friction device comprises a rope belt, attached at one end to the orivenpulley and engaged about is periphery, the rope passing from the drivei pulley over a driving pulley 111 direction of rotation, and downwardly from the opposite side to a point accessible to the operator, who by pulling downwardly upon the rope can ca .se it to frictionally engage the driving pulley for a limited period to transmittingly connect the driven pulley. This form of transmission does not require great care upon the part of the operator, inasmuch as, when an ectlng operationis completed and the movement of the elevatingmecha1 1 n has been arrested at its limit, slippage t t es between the driving pulleyand bei place, although the operator maintains frictional contact between the belt and power pulley;

he improved stripper is applied in a type of mold box, from which the molded article i adapted to be ejected in a vertical direetion, and the boi; has a movable bottom or follower in the form of a pallet translatable withinthe box for forcing the molded article from the mold. i i w Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully'set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan showing the mold-- ing unit including mold mechanism therefor. i

lfigure 2 is'an end view of the molding unit.

Figure 3 is a detailed vertical section on line 33, Figure 2, illustrating a portion otthe stripper or ejector hoisting mecl1- amsm, i

Figure is a transverse vertical, section of the machine taken through the mold box.

Figure 5 is an'eularged detail plan section 11 line 55, Figure 4, illustrating the ra use and connections therebetween.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on line 6-t3,

Figure 1, with the ejectoror stripper shown ened on their outerfaces by suitable ribs, and having plane inner surfaces at the upper end, longitudinally of increased length over the lower part of the frame, to provide the ends or sides of the mold box. The frames are connected together in spaced relation by a b ace member 3 of skeleton formation to which they are secured by bolts 4. Each frame 1, 2,'is provided with a horizontal rib 5, and the ribs are horizontally aligned to form ledges for supportingthe removable false bottom or core carrying member 6, which bottom has extending upwardly there from the hollow cores 7, 7, in this instance two in number. The bottom 6 as a casting, is of skeleton formation, and simulates a grating, comprising a central longitudinallydisposed cross member, and three cross members disposed at right angles to the said central member. The plan outline of box and stripper frame of the device comlines in Figversely between the frames, 1, 2, see Figure 4., to facilitate introduction of screws 9 for securely holdingthe cores to thesides 10, 11, against translation during an ejecting operation.

To the opposite sides Oftllfl bottom 6, are

attached exteriorly, ribbed plates .10, 11, forming with the frames 1 and 2a rectangular mold. box, see Figure. 6.

The parts are so arranged. that substitute bottoms of differentdimensions may be attached to correspondingly produce a block of different dimension, in which case the plates 10, 11, must be correspondingly adjusted, and forzthis purpose the frames 1 and 2 are provided with aligned bolt-receiving openings 15, through any of which, bolts 16 passing through openings in the flanges of plates may be introduced to'clamp bottom and plates 10, 11, after adjustment. The length of the block generally remains the same, and therefore, the, distance between frames 1 and 2 is generally fixed. This skeleton structure further provides for the passage of stripper rods, which are vertical- 1y disposed and translatable for engaging a follower bottom or pallet 20, adapted to be translated fromlthe bottom to the top of the mold, to normally provide a base, while the mold is filled and the cement material tamped, and further functioning as a sup port for the molded block. This translatable pallet 20, .in this instance has openings 22 therein through which the cores 7 extend. Substitute pallets are" provided for each molding as the pallets provide a base or support for the block during its driving period. The pallet is suitably ribbed on the underside as at 21 forstiffening purposes, and the stripper or ejector rods engage the bottom at four points for raising the same horizontally without tipping. The pallet 20 is notched as at 23 at opposite sides to give clearance for the ribs 24 bolted vertically to the inner surfaces of the frames 1 and 2, which ribs form correspondingly shaped grooves in the block, serving to merely give. shape to the block. 1 i

Stripper mechanism.

The pallet, and the hereinafter described mechanism' for forcibly raising the same within the mold, may be designated the ejector mechanism.

The lower or main part of the ejector 7 mechanism comprises a translatable carriage or elevator member 30. Attached to and extending upward from the member 30 are ejector elements or rods 31. four in number, related as the corners of a rectangle and adapted to engage and translate the pallet. The member 30 is-held for vertical sliding movement between pairs of bars 32, a pair attached on the outer side of each frame 1 and 2. The ends of the member 30 are slidably engaged between these respective pairs of guide strips, (as shown in Figurefi). The vertical movements .of this ejector are suflicient, in a downward movement to bring the pallet into contact with the top of the bottom of the mold, and in an upward movc ment to bring the pallet to a position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure (3, for conveniently removing the moldedbloclswith the pallet as a support from the machine.

Attached to the bottom of the elevator or follower 30, are leverage-applying members,- hcrein designed to be simultaneously operable for initially applying a leverage force for starting the translation of member 30, rods 31 and bottom 20,"for loosening the molded article from its compact with the. sides or walls of the mold,and for continuing to raise the bottom and molded article to a position in which it can be removed from the box.

This leverage applying means, is attached to the bottom of the member 30, therebeneath and comprises a pair of levers pivoted as at 40, 40, between pairs of cars, integral with and depending-from themember 30. The levers are longitudinally aligned and symmetrically disposed at each side of the central vertical axis of the mold and ejector, for applying powei evenly to prevent any rocking motion of the member 30 or of the bottom 20'. The lovers have their short arms adjacently disposed and their long armseir tending in opposite directions to a point beyond the frames 1 and 2. A fulcrum for the terminals of the short arms of the lovers is provided by a cross plate or truss 42, bolted at opposite ends at the lowermost pointof the frames 1 and 2. Thus the leverage applying means occupies little vertical space, and permits the other .partsof the ejector mechanism as well as the mold box, to occupy lowest, possible levels, for disposing the top ofthe mold box inposition for facilitating the removal of the ejector block.

The means for operating the leverage applying members and forcibly lifting the ejector, comprise the followingelements. A driven shaft .60 is mounted horizontally in bearings 61 extending laterally from the side frames 1 and 2, and at opposite ends of this shaft adjacent the side frames are disposed groovedpulleys 62, 62. Chains (i3 connect these pulleys with respective projecting ends of the lever members, these connections being shown respectively at 66, 66. The chains run over idler pulleys 67, and then vertically downwardly to the levers. At the outer end of the shaft v60,,is a driven pulley 7O connect ward movement of the ejector to dispose the levers 1n adetermined position with respect to the fulcrum plate 42. This device comprises a ratchet wheel 73 having two ratchet teeth, providing shoulders 7 4, 75, engageable with a pin 76, carried by a lever 77 pivoted at one end as at 78 to brackets 79 extending from the rear edge of the frame 2. The lever has a grip portion disposed adjacent the front of the mold box by which it can be raised to withdraw the pin-76 from the shoulders 74, 75. The engagement of the pin with either shoulder is obtained automatically.

lVhen it is desired to raise the ejector from its position shown in Figure 2, power applied for rotating the shaft 60 in clockwise direction to raise the outer ends ofthe levers 32 for initially extra forcibly applying power for loosening the molded article from the i sides of the mold, and for engagingthe long arms of the levers with the unuer surface of the member 30, for continuing a lifting operation of the ejector until the pallet is freed from the top of the mold as shown in dotand-dash lines in Figure 6. During the elevation of the ejector mechanism the pin rides upon the periphery of the ratchet wheel until the elevator reaches its upper position at which time the weight of the lever causes the pin to engage the shoulder 75 to prevent reverse motions of the shaft 60 and consequently maintain the elevator at its discharge position. This stopping operation is automatically performed and if the operator does not happen to disconnect the power from the wheel 70, the belt willslip and in this way over-running is positively pre vented. When it is desired to lower the elevator and stripping elements, the lever is initia ly. momentarily raised, to disengage the pin from the shoulder 75, and then dropped against the periphery of the. wheel for engagement with the shoulder 741 as a stop for limiting downward movement. In Figure 7 I have illustrated a novel friction device for applyingpower to the shaft 60 through the pulley 70. This friction device provides means for transmitting the power, and for allowing a slippage between a power pulley, and a driven pulley for op erating the elevating mechanism, whereby when the mechanism reaches an upper limit, slippage between the power pulley andpower transmitting means takes place automatically.

For this purpose I attach one end of a rope;

71 to the driven pulley as indicated at 80, and pass the rope about the pulley 70 sub stantially as shown in Figure 7. The rope is then passed upwardly 1n this instance, and

over a driving ,pulley 81, in a direction of rotation of the pulley. This driving pulley is mounted upon the driving shaft 82, journaled in anysuitable manner. The free end of the rope hangs within the reachiof the operator, and when it is desired to apply power for operating the stripper through the shaft 60, the attendant pulls downwardly on the free end of the rope, forcibly frictionally engaging a portionof the rope with thedriving pulley, whereby a frictional drive is obtained, and the elevating and ejecting mechanism raised. In this instance the friction continues until the member 30 abuts the underside of the member 3, or bottom of the mold box. substantially corresponds to the engaging position of the stop shoulder 75, so that the pin 76 will engage the shoulder 7 5. and hold the elevator in upper position while the. molded article is removed. Ordinarilythe shoulder will run slightly beyond the pin, and then drop backwardly against the pin.

This abutting engagement I the member 30 engages the mold box,

or its equivalent, asa stop, slippage between the power pulley and the friction control rope takes place. Thus, by the use of this device power can be conveniently applied, and the mechanism raised to and automatically stopped at its proper upper limit, without great attention on the part of the operator.

The hopper 83 mounted at the mold opening is provided at each side with pairs of flanges 84- overhangingthe mold edge for guiding the hopper when it is pushed back and away from the moldopening prior to the ejecting operation.

in Figure 8, a modified form of driven, pulley 85 is shown which may be substituteddriven pulley 70, to relieve the transa mission of an excessive starting torque inia for the tially in the ejectmcnt'of the moldedblock from the mold. The pulley 25 is of elliptic or eccentric form and specifically is provid ed with a grooved faced arm 87 providing an extended rope engaging periphery developing into the axially concentric portion of the pulley, furnishing a leverage starting torque to the shaft 60 and a reducing speed increment for a gradual, powerful and.

smooth starting phase in the transmission.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A mold box, a translatable bottom for the box, an ejector member for forcibly translating the bottom, leverage-obtaining means upon said ejector, operable for in n tially extra forcibly translating the bottom for freeing a molded article from the sides of the mold, and hoisting means connected.

with said leverage applying means for operating said leverage means to initiallyextra forcibly translate the ejector and bottom, and to tonstitute. said leverage-applying means, a lifter, to further translate said ejector member and bottom to their ejecting limit.

2. A frame, a mold box upon the frame, a translatable bottom for said box, an ejector member translatable in the frame and engageable with said bottom for forcibly translating the same, a lever device upon said ejector member engageable with the frame for extra forcibly initially translatin the ejector and bottom for freeing ainoldc article from the side of the mold, and hoisting means attached to said lever device, operable in a single direction both for applying leverage through said lever device, and for causing engagement of said device with the ejector as a lifter for continuing the translationuof said ejector member and bottom to their ejecting'limits.

3. A. mold box, an ejector member translatable in the box for loosening a molded article and tanslating the same, leverage applying members upon the ejector comprising two opposingly related longitudinally aligned levers symmetrical with the central axis of the mold and ejector, said levers having their short arms adjacently disposed and their long arms extending outwardly in opposite directions, and hoisting means connecting with each lever, for simultaneously operating the levers for initially extra forcibly translating the ejector, to loosen the molded article, and for continuing such translation until said ejector reaches its ejecting limit.

4:. A frame, a vertically discharging mold box upon the frame, abottom translatable in the box, an ejector member translatable in the frame having portions engageable with the translatable bottom for translating thesame, leverage applying members upon the ejector comprising two levers longitudinally aligned and symmetrically disposed at right angles to, and at each side of the cen- .tra-l axis of the mold and ejector member, said levers having their short arms adjacently disposed with their terminals engagingthe frame, and their long arms extending beyond the ejector, and hoisting means connecting with eachlever simultaneously operable for rocking the long arms of the lever upwardly for applyingleverage with the frame as a. fulcrum, toinitially extra forcibly translate the ejector, and for bringing the long arms in contact with the bottom of the ejector member, as lifters, for continuing such translation to an ejecting limit.

5. A frame, a vertically discharging mold box upon the frame, a translatable bottom for the box, an elevator member vertically translatable within the frame having symmetrically arranged rods engageable with means attached to each lever simultaneously operable both for applying leverage by rocking the levers and for causing the levers to act as lifters for continuing the translation ofthe ejector member and bottom to their ejecting limits.

6. A mold box having a bottom slidable vertically therein, elevating means engaged with the bottom including a shaft having a pulley thereon, a driving pulley, a belt. passing over the pulley in direction of rotation and having one end attached to and passing around said shaft pulley with the opposite ends of said belt hanging freely. adapted to be pulled for frictionally engaging the belt against the power pulley to opcrate said elevating means.

A mold box having a bottom slidable therein, elevating means engaged with the bottom including a shaft, means for arresting elevating movement in a predetermined manner, said shaft having a pulley thereon, a. driving pulley, a belt passing. over the driving pulley in direction of rotation and having an end attached to and passing around said shaft pulley with its opposite end hanging and accessible for pulling to frictionally engage the rope against the power pulley to transmit power to the elevating means, whereby power can be transmitted to said elevating means until the arresting means is operated when slippage between the driving pulley and belt will take place, although the belt remains frictionally engaged with said driving pulley.

8. A mold box, an ejector member translatable thcrein, leverage applying members upon the ejector, comprising two longitudinally aligned levers pivoted to the ejector, symmetrically disposed with respect to the central axis of mold and ejector, said levers having their short arms adjacently disposed and their long arms projecting outwardly beyond the ejector member, a hoisting shaft, connections between said shaft and levers, for simultaneously pulling upwardly upon the leversto initially extra forcibly translate the ejector to loosen the molded article, and said arms engageable on continued movement with the ejector member, for completing the hoisting and ejecting movement 9. A f'ame, a moldbox upon the frame having an e ector member vertically moveable therein for discharging the molded a1- ticle from the box, and lever means upon tor to loosen the article from the sides of the boX, said lever means then engageable with the ejector member to qualify as lifters for continuing the ejecting movement.

10. A mold box, a translatable bottom therefor, an ejector member for translating the bottom, lever means upon the ejector operable for initially extra forcibly translating the ejector and bottom-for freeing a molded article from the sides of the mold, said lever means further engageable with the ejector, as handles or lifters for the ejector member for completing an ejecting operation.

11. A mold box, a translatable ejector member within the box, leverage ap lying means upon said ejector member opera le for .my name.

initially extra forcibly translating the member to free a molded article from the sides of the mold, and further operable as lifter means for continuing an ejecting operation, and hoisting means operably connected with said leverage obtaining means.

12. An ejector for molds of the character disclosed comprising a pallet normally providing the base of the mold, elevator means guidingly supported and engaged with the pallet for elevating the pallet through the mold, with the molded product thereon, opposing levers fulcrumed upon said elevator means and arranged to alternately provide a pry and hitch for elevating said means, and transmission means for said elevator means connecting With said levers.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe NATHAN RANSOHOF F. 

